Description

A unique combination of twenty-four signatures on a limited edition print.

"Naval Aviation in Space" Limited Edition Lithograph Originally
Signed by Nine Astronauts, Now Signed by Twenty-Four Total. A
25" x 30" print (694 of 1000) of a watercolor collage by noted
artist (and Naval aviator) Robert L. Rasmussen, with scenes
depicting various periods of the American space program. The artist
has signed "694/1000/Bob Rasmussen" in pencil at
right just beneath the image. The original nine astronauts have
each signed in pencil in the bottom margin, above their printed
names, as follows (left to right, top row, then bottom): "Rick
Hauck", "Alan Shepard", "Neil Armstrong",
"Charles Conrad Jr.", "Jack Lousma", "John
Glenn", "Gene Cernan", "James Lovell", and
"Wally Schirra". These signatures were all applied during an
event at the Naval Aviation Museum in 1989 to raise funds for the
museum.

A collector, over the course of years, obtained fifteen additional
astronaut and space-related signatures on this print at various
shows and private signings. All in pencil, they are as follows:
"Brian Binnie/ SpaceShipOne Astronaut/ 04-Oct-04", "Jon A
McBride/ Plt STS-41G", "Scott Carpenter/ Aurora 7/ 24 May,
1962", "First/ Spacewalker/ Alexei Leonov", "Ed
Gibson/ Reach high-/ Aim higher!", "Buzz Aldrin/ Apollo XI/
'Magnificent Desolation'", "Al Worden/ Apollo 15",
"Rusty Schweickart/ Apollo 9 LMP", "Charlie Duke/ Apollo
16/ The Wonder of it All!", "Edgar Mitchell/ 6th
Moonwalker", "First Woman in Space/ Valentina Tereshkova/
Vostok 6", "Alan Bean/ Apollo XII LMP/ Moonwalker #4",
"Richard Gordon/ Apollo XII CMP", "Walt Cunningham/
Apollo 7", and "Guenter F. Wendt/ Pad Leader/ Mercury -
Gemini - Apollo". We have never seen one of these with this
many additional signatures. A rare and unique combination of
signatures including eight of the twelve moonwalkers (three of the
four that are missing could potentially be obtained at private
signings), the first American in space, the first American to orbit
the Earth, the first woman in space, the first man to walk on the
moon, and also the last man to do so. Fine condition, stored rolled
with very minor wear from handling. Matted and framed, this would
make an amazing display.